In most printing machines, it is still a common practice to utilize printing cylinders having a clamping channel that extends in the axial direction of the cylinder and in which the printing plate or, in the case of offset printing machines, the offset blanket, to be clamped onto the printing cylinder is fixed. When rolling over the cylinder channels, the printing cylinders installed together are disengaged such that vibrations are generated. Among other things, these vibrations have a negative impact on the printing quality as well as on the maximum printing speed of such a printing machine. Consequently, attempts have been made for quite some time to provide arrangements in which only one of the printing cylinders used in an offset printing machine has a channel, in order to minimize the vibrations stimulated by changes in the line force during the channel roll over. For example, only plate cylinders (also referred to as form cylinders) were provided with a clamping channel, while rubber blanket cylinders (also referred to as transfer cylinders) were equipped with so called sleeves that could be slipped on axially. This made it possible to reduce the cylinder vibrations and, among other things, to increase the rotational speeds of the printing units or printing machines, while still achieving an adequate print quality. However, utilizing such sleeves is more costly because the manufacturing cost of these sleeves is much higher than that of conventional rubber blankets.
Another alternative for reducing the vibrations stimulated by changes in the line force consists of fixing finite rubber blankets on metal plates and inserting only the ends of the metal plates into the channels of the rubber blanket cylinders. As compared to the cylinder channels of a conventional rubber blanket clamping mechanism, this arrangement enables the width of the cylinder channels to be significantly reduced. Although these measures also lead to a reduction in vibration, the utilization of rubber blankets with a metal backing significantly increases the cost as compared to conventional rubber blankets.